11-09-2010, 03:07 PM
[cool][#0000ff]This is a good time to start planning your tackle collection, but a better time to buy most of it would be after the holidays when there are lots of sales. Also some new stuff coming out in the spring of each year. Right now you should focus on what you need for ice fishing...if you are going to play on the hard deck this winter.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]You know you are gonna get a bunch of different opinions from different anglers. All of us are the end product of our past fishing experiences...good and bad. And some of us learned how to fish well with certain gear for certain species on certain waters and we are forever "patterned". But I roll my eyes and look heavenward everytime one of our BFT "ex-spurts" holds forth and says that they way they fish is the ONLY way to fish for a specific species on a specific water. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The truth is that being able to find the fish and figure out what mode they are in is far more important than the size, type or color of lure you throw at them. Active fish will hit almost anything. Neutral or negative fish will seldom hit even the hottest baits or lures when they got lockjaw. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That being said, you should have an assortment of lures that will do a fair job of imitating natural food items...like insects, crawdads or minnows. However, you should also have lures that have hot colors and/or lots of flash and vibration to help stimulate a "reaction" bite when the fish are being stubborn and not biting on the standard stuff.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Ask a dozen Utah anglers what colors are best and you will get at least 6 different opinions...if not all 12. For my money...if I were limited to one color and one lure...it would be white tube jigs...from 1.5" to 3". I have caught more fish, of more species, on more waters, with basic white than with all other colors combined. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]After that it would be a tossup between chartreuse, black and purple. Chartreuse is almost a year round color in Utah but is especially good in cold or stained water. We get both in Utah. Black is also highly visible in low light conditions. Purple is an overlooked color for almost all species. Underwater, in some light, it gives off a wormlike sheen that fishies like.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]For additional visibility and fish attraction, get some lures in two or three color combos. Many light and dark colors are good in combination because they create a high contrast...especially two hot colors like chartreuse with hot orange or red. It is not so much these colors that are so great but the increased visibility in poor light or stained water...or in cold water where fish need to be "motivated" to go after something.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Spinners and high action hardbaits can save the day when the fish are slower too. Flash and vibration help call fish in even if they can't see the lure from a distance. Most predatory fish have sensitive lateral lines that pick up vibrations and help the fish move toward the source. They follow the vibrations until they can see the flash and then whack the lure.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There is an accepted rule that you should use silver or white lures on bright days...or when the water is fairly clear, with good visibility. The flip side of that is to use copper/brass/gold blades in murkier water or in low light conditions. The wavelength of light from the darker blade is easier to see when visibility is poor. But, I have personally done great on using either color in the opposite conditions. Again, getting the lure in front of the fish at the right depth and speed are more important than color.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Whatever you do, don't get bogged down in picking lures of the exact color recommended by someone else. Such recommendations are often influenced by someone having a good day on a certain water while using that color. But, if it was a day when the fish were active and hitting everything it would not have made any difference what color they used. And conditions change on the same waters several times during the year. No color works 100% of the time...anywhere.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have long preached that a good fisherman can catch fish on the WRONG lure...but a lesser skilled angler often has trouble making the RIGHT lure do the job. There is a lot more to fishing than lure selection.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you ever get down this way (SLC) you would be welcome to visit my playroom. I would be happy to show you some of the basic stuff and explain how and when I might decide to use it on any given day. Yeah, I make a lot of my own stuff, but I also have a pretty good supply of "store bought" lures that are a part of my overall arsenal.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The best suggestion I can offer is to acquire a good assortment of the basic lures...in the most popular and effective colors. Then fish the heck out of them and form your own opinions. Don't just set out to fill up a couple of tackle boxes...hoping that you will have SOMETHING in there that MIGHT work on your next trip.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Far better to learn the waters, the species and the right tackle than to just dump your tackle box in the lake and wait for the fish to make a choice. Don't ask me how I know that.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]You know you are gonna get a bunch of different opinions from different anglers. All of us are the end product of our past fishing experiences...good and bad. And some of us learned how to fish well with certain gear for certain species on certain waters and we are forever "patterned". But I roll my eyes and look heavenward everytime one of our BFT "ex-spurts" holds forth and says that they way they fish is the ONLY way to fish for a specific species on a specific water. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The truth is that being able to find the fish and figure out what mode they are in is far more important than the size, type or color of lure you throw at them. Active fish will hit almost anything. Neutral or negative fish will seldom hit even the hottest baits or lures when they got lockjaw. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That being said, you should have an assortment of lures that will do a fair job of imitating natural food items...like insects, crawdads or minnows. However, you should also have lures that have hot colors and/or lots of flash and vibration to help stimulate a "reaction" bite when the fish are being stubborn and not biting on the standard stuff.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Ask a dozen Utah anglers what colors are best and you will get at least 6 different opinions...if not all 12. For my money...if I were limited to one color and one lure...it would be white tube jigs...from 1.5" to 3". I have caught more fish, of more species, on more waters, with basic white than with all other colors combined. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]After that it would be a tossup between chartreuse, black and purple. Chartreuse is almost a year round color in Utah but is especially good in cold or stained water. We get both in Utah. Black is also highly visible in low light conditions. Purple is an overlooked color for almost all species. Underwater, in some light, it gives off a wormlike sheen that fishies like.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]For additional visibility and fish attraction, get some lures in two or three color combos. Many light and dark colors are good in combination because they create a high contrast...especially two hot colors like chartreuse with hot orange or red. It is not so much these colors that are so great but the increased visibility in poor light or stained water...or in cold water where fish need to be "motivated" to go after something.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Spinners and high action hardbaits can save the day when the fish are slower too. Flash and vibration help call fish in even if they can't see the lure from a distance. Most predatory fish have sensitive lateral lines that pick up vibrations and help the fish move toward the source. They follow the vibrations until they can see the flash and then whack the lure.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There is an accepted rule that you should use silver or white lures on bright days...or when the water is fairly clear, with good visibility. The flip side of that is to use copper/brass/gold blades in murkier water or in low light conditions. The wavelength of light from the darker blade is easier to see when visibility is poor. But, I have personally done great on using either color in the opposite conditions. Again, getting the lure in front of the fish at the right depth and speed are more important than color.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Whatever you do, don't get bogged down in picking lures of the exact color recommended by someone else. Such recommendations are often influenced by someone having a good day on a certain water while using that color. But, if it was a day when the fish were active and hitting everything it would not have made any difference what color they used. And conditions change on the same waters several times during the year. No color works 100% of the time...anywhere.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have long preached that a good fisherman can catch fish on the WRONG lure...but a lesser skilled angler often has trouble making the RIGHT lure do the job. There is a lot more to fishing than lure selection.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you ever get down this way (SLC) you would be welcome to visit my playroom. I would be happy to show you some of the basic stuff and explain how and when I might decide to use it on any given day. Yeah, I make a lot of my own stuff, but I also have a pretty good supply of "store bought" lures that are a part of my overall arsenal.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The best suggestion I can offer is to acquire a good assortment of the basic lures...in the most popular and effective colors. Then fish the heck out of them and form your own opinions. Don't just set out to fill up a couple of tackle boxes...hoping that you will have SOMETHING in there that MIGHT work on your next trip.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Far better to learn the waters, the species and the right tackle than to just dump your tackle box in the lake and wait for the fish to make a choice. Don't ask me how I know that.[/#0000ff]
[signature]